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Cheese from Switzerland, canton of Valais

Raclette du Valais

Raw cow milk is seeded with lactic cultures, warmed to 32 °C, set with calf rennet at 30–33 °C, cut, washed with water and stirred at 36–45 °C. The pressed wheel drains to about pH 5.0, is brined, and ripens at least three months at 7–14 °C on red-fir boards while its smeared rind is brushed.

Recipe

Raclette du Valais, a photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Adrian Michael, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Amounts from a sourceThe specification sets the water share and no other amounts.
Raw cow milkCooled only; no heat treatment. From at most two successive milkings[rac-cdc]
Calf rennetOnly animal rennet from calf stomach is allowed[rac-cdc]
Lactic cultures specific to Raclette du ValaisListed by the producers' group[rac-cdc]
Drinking water10–15 % of the milk volumeAdded to wash out lactose (optional in alpine dairies)[rac-cdc]
SaltBrine or dry salt on the surface[rac-cdc]
Smear (morge) culturesFrom the dairy's own flora; Brevibacterium linens allowed if that fails[rac-cdc]
Starterlactic cultures specific to Raclette du Valais; natural smear flora on the rind

Total time across the recorded steps: 3 months

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
up to 8 °C

What changes: Starting material: raw cow milk from the Valais, cooled but never heated

Step 1 of 7
Collect and cool raw milk
Time
up to 24 h
Set
Temperature
up to 8 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Brevibacterium linens

Output: raw milk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
white

Microbes at work in this step

raw-milk flora

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Raw cow milk is seeded with lactic cultures, warmed to 32 °C, set with calf rennet at 30–33 °C, cut, washed with water and stirred at 36–45 °C. The pressed wheel drains to about pH 5.0, is brined, and ripens at least three months at 7–14 °C on red-fir boards while its smeared rind is brushed. Made in 7 steps over 3 months. The longest step, ripen on red-fir boards, brushing the smear, takes at least 3 months (Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (OFAG) 2023) and runs at 7–14 °C (Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (OFAG) 2023). Smear (morge) flora native to each dairy; after a long break in production, cultures from other Valais dairies may restart it, and Brevibacterium linens if that fails does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 3 monthsSet[rac-cdc]Ripen on red-fir boards, brushing the smear
Temperature7–14 °CSet[rac-cdc]Ripen on red-fir boards, brushing the smear
AciditypH 4.8–5.2Set[rac-cdc]Pre-press, mould and press

What makes this one different

Raclette du Valais must be made from raw milk, and the curd is washed with 10–15 % water before it is heated. Its rind is a smear grown from each dairy's own flora, and wheels are stamped with the name of the alp or dairy. The à rebibes version, ripened at least 12 months, is soaked, scrubbed free of its smear and rubbed with oil and vinegar.

Milk
Raw cow milk, cooled only
Ripening
At least 3 months at 7–14 °C and 88–96 % RH; à la coupe at least 2 months; à rebibes at least 12 months at 4–14 °C and 70–80 % RH
Size
29–32 cm across, 6–8 cm high, 4.6–5.8 kg; à rebibes 4–6 cm high, 3.3–5 kg; fat 500–549 g per kg of dry matter

Related ferments

Variants

  • Raclette du Valais à la coupeRipened at least 2 months; sold in pieces.
  • Raclette du Valais à rebibesRipened at least 12 months at 4–14 °C and 70–80 % RH; at 3–4 months soaked 25–30 min in 22–25 °C water, scrubbed, then rubbed with oil and vinegar.

Safety

The milk is raw; the specification bans any heat treatment other than cooling.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The Valais tourism board says cheese is attested in the Valais from the 4th century BC, that melted cheese was known there in 1574, and that the name raclette was written from 1874. In November 2003 the Federal Agriculture Office registered the name Raclette to the Valais, citing the 1574 record. A Federal Court judgment of 15 October 2007 held that the bare term Raclette is not protected; the protected name is Raclette du Valais.

  1. [rac-cdc] Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (OFAG), register of designations of origin, Cahier des charges pour Raclette du Valais (AOP), as amended to 13 Dec 2023spec
  2. [egger2021] Egger L., Ménard O., Abbühl L., Duerr D., Stoffers H., Berthoud H. et al. 2021, Higher microbial diversity in raw than in pasteurized milk Raclette-type cheese enhances peptide and metabolite diversity after in vitro digestion, Food Chemistry 340:128154, doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128154 (abstract)paper
  3. [swissinfo2003] swissinfo.ch 2003, Raclette to remain exclusive to Valais (4 November 2003)web
  4. [valais-raclette] valais.ch (Valais tourism site), Raclette, page in the Spécialités du Valais sectionweb